Oh, for goodnessssss snake!
A family was rattled to find a 5-foot python taking a nap in the kitchen of their South London home last month.
The boa-red reptile, which can “kill a human in minutes,” per USA Today, was discovered on Sept. 13 by the family’s nanny, who promptly dialed the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
The snake had wiggled its way to the warmest part of the house, the boiler in the kitchen.
“He was slightly skinny,” animal rescue officer Abigail Campbell told SWNS.
“I gave him a nudge just to make sure he wasn’t aggressive, but he was very calm and allowed me to pick him up no problem, although he did cling on to the boiler pipe very tightly. He was very strong,” Campbell continued.
The nanny thinks the snake could have slithered in from the garden through a gap in the wall, while the RSPCA believes the animal escaped or was “abandoned” in the nearby area.
The organization put up “animal found” posters, but no one has called to claim the snake — giving credence to the abandonment theory.
”He was very chilled and became somewhat lively once he had been picked up, looking around and smelling the air,” Campbell said. “He was placed in a snake bag, where he chilled out again, and curled up.”
The animal has been taken to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital, where he remains, according to SWNS.
Pythons are non-venomous, according to Reptile Knowledge, but some can grow large enough to constrict their owners, which can kill them.
This is not the first case of a python being forgotten in England.
The RSPCA said it has seen many reptiles left behind, explaining that some owners just don’t understand the “commitment” required.
“We believe many people are unaware of how much of a commitment these animals are when they take them on, and we suspect the reality of caring for them has become too much in these cases,” Campbell told SWNS.
”This is why we would encourage anyone thinking of getting an exotic pet to find out as much as possible about the animal’s needs and whether they’re the right pet for them.”